Basement Waterproofing Photo Album: Waterproofing College Housing in Berrien Springs

We received a call from a local college's housing office when one of their properties was revealed to have some major water issues in the basement. They wanted it fixed when the school year was over, and we recently completed the work. We installed a full perimeter WaterGuard below-floor drain system, including cross tile to connect a difficult area more directly to the sump pump, and replaced the old, outdated pump with a new Super Sump pump to make sure the water gets evacuated.

Water and Mold on Basement Block Wall

Major evidence of water leaking is visible throughout the basement. Here, it's damaged paint and allowed mold to grow, as well as caused general water staining.

Exterior Signs of Water Damage

When the outside of the block wall is soaked through, it's not hard to guess what's happening inside. Blocks are somewhat porous, which means water travels through them. And into the basement.

Water Damage in Corner

It's clear that the wall on the left is more exposed to the water issues than the wall on the right, with warping and mold visible on the blocks.

Major Water Damage in Basement

Here you can actually see the water deteriorating the blocks in this wall. Efflorescence, which occurs when water travels through a solid, causing salts to liquify and travel to the surface. Over time, this can erode the blocks themselves.

Inefficient Sump Pump in Berrien Springs

This sump pump was doing its best, its best just wasn't very good. It doesn't help that there was no drainage system in place to route the water to the pump.

Efflorescence and Mold on Basement Wall

Through the damaged paint (from water) you can see efflorescence and mold in the blocks of the wall. Both of these compromise structural integrity, and mold can cause a number of health issues.

Heavy Water Damage Under Window

The area beneath this window was one of the worst spots in the basement. Water and mold are in full force here, likely from a poorly installed window.

Water Damage in Berrien Springs Basement

It's unsurprising that another heavy damage area was under yet another window. Poorly installed windows basically create a gateway for water and all of the problems it causes.

SuperSump Proactively Discharges Water

Instead of waiting for water to come to it, the SuperSump acts in conjunction with the WaterGuard system to collect and discharge water far, far outside.

CleanSpace Gives Basement a Clean Look

Both to protect the basement at large from the leaks, and to brighten up the look, we installed CleanSpace vapor barrier on the leaking walls.

WaterGuard Installation After New Concrete

Once the WaterGuard track is in place, we pour new concrete to restore the floor.

Walls Are Less of a Mess After CleanSpace

Instead of the horror movie worthy damaged wall, any residents of the home can look at a simple, clean, white wall thanks to CleanSpace.

IceGuard Prevents Winter Backup Flooding

When discharge lines freeze in the winter (which can happen, especially in Michigan), the water often backs up into the basement. But the IceGuard system allows the water to 'spray' out of the grates so it doesn't end up in your house.

Drastic Improvement in Water Damaged Basement

With CleanSpace on the walls protecting the basement from the previous effects of water, and WaterGuard installed to keep future water issues under control, this basement is on the mend.